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Life’s a GameSat, 14 Jan 2012 06:38:08 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3Is Binary Domain just a regular sci-fi third person shooter?http://videogamesdaily.com/previews/201106/is-binary-domain-just-a-regular-sci-fi-third-person-shooter/
http://videogamesdaily.com/previews/201106/is-binary-domain-just-a-regular-sci-fi-third-person-shooter/#commentsWed, 15 Jun 2011 18:30:21 +0000Brent Selvoghttp://videogamesdaily.com/?p=8224
At first glance, it looks like a regular sci-fi third person shooter. And deep down, once you get past the loading screen, it turns out… it is.

But what’s wrong with that?

We all love putting ridiculous guns in our hands, running around a large metropolis, and hunting things that are in no way a possibility. But with Binary Domain, they take all that normality, and expand upon it.

The storyline is the typical “Robots become our slaves, and an evil person/corporation decides to make some look and act human, which of course is against the law, and now a handful of people need to bring him/her/them down.” It all feels very Blade Runner, Terminator and Animatrix. But what I did like about the story is that for once the Japanese are the bad guys! No Germans, no Middle Easterners, and no Russians! How refreshing.

Story aside, some simple game mechanics help to define this game as something more than your typical war shooter. You campaign with up to 4 other characters that are NPC or Co-op players. Each character has his or her own assets that they bring to the table. You might have a character that utilizes the shot gun for up close and personal combat, or a large man who knows his way around a Mini-Gun. Each player comes preset, but you are given freedom to customize.

How about leveling up? Each kill gives you an experience point-esque form of currency which you can use to purchase the upgrades and weapons from any vending machine (a la Dead Space). Though this is a game mechanic that sort of draws me out of the experience, it at least is an option. You can also pick up artillery and firepower from fallen droids and drones.

A cool feature (cool if done well) is the Trust feature. The trust feature works both ways. You can earn it and lose it. I wasn’t given much information on exactly how the Trust will change the overall outcome, but I was told that depending on character choice in relation to their trust towards you, it could present B storylines and events. How can I earn/lose trust? A buddy gets hit in the head by a laser toting robot, he’s bleeding pretty badly, and his screams ring out for help from a medic. What do you do? Help him (gain Trust) or not (lose Trust)? It works as simply as that.

Another great feature is the voice command. This is an optional feature. You could also just press buttons that show up on your screen. For those of you who have headsets and love shouting out orders to your teammates in co-op will be able to not only yell out simple commands to your troops, but are also able to dish out banter. This will also coincide with the Trust system. You can develop relationships with your AI teammates. As for Co-op with online buddies, the game will support online but not split-screen multiplayer.

Then there’s the epic boss battles. A large spidery-bot comes trampling through Japan, in the middle of the city, and only you and your two other buddies are supposed to bring it down.

In fact, in each of the game’s six “lengthy” chapters, there are at least three colossal sized bosses. Each boss is a puzzle, whereas you need to “discover” its weak spot before you can even attempt to bring it to its knees. I was given a 10 minute show of the Spider Robot Boss, and even though the game designer was the one playing the level, he wasn’t able to find its weakness. So the bosses are large, mean, tricky, and they don’t go down easy. Not by a long shot! The boss battles alone are enough to get me eager for this one.

No, I’m not talking about all the hoopla over the allegations that football’s governing body is so corrupt that the Mafia have started sending its members on FIFA business management courses, or the fact that they managed to stage the kind of election that would leave even Robert Mugabe saying “Now, hang on a minute.” I’m not even referring to Sepp Blatter’s post re-election press conference, during which his analogy to FIFA as a ship couldn’t have made him sound more like the captain of the Titanic if he’d broken out into an impromptu rendition of “My heart will go on”.

No, I’m talking, of course, of EA Sports’ official unveiling of FIFA 12, the next edition in its colossally popular football franchise, which is due out later this year. Proof, if ever any were needed, that no matter how cleverly you plan an announcement, you just can’t legislate for a juicy scandal stealing your thunder.

EA must have thought their timing was perfect. Coming just days after a show-stopping Champions League final, football fans about to embark on their arduous trek through the arid summer wilderness with only a drip feed of speculative transfer rumours to sustain them, would surely lap up every last drop of FIFA information. Instead, the news was washed away in a torrent of allegations over bribery and shady dealings within the organisation from which the series takes its name.

It’s a shame, because the game’s headline new features sound genuinely worthy of attention. The player impact engine is set to bring real-world physics and physicality to every shoulder barge, sliding tackle and other moment of contact between players. Precision dribbling will allow those with the appropriate skills to weave their way through the opposing ranks without having to produce a show reel of Hollywood-style tricks, and tactical defending will make it easier to snuff out threatening attacks.

What’s initially puzzling about the FIFA 12 reveal, though, is why EA is choosing to market the game as a “revolution rather than an evolution”. FIFA 11 mounted a very strong case for being the greatest football simulator ever, and while the changes in FIFA 12 seem both intelligent and attractive, they sound like steps forward rather than leaps. It’s hard to think, therefore, of a single reason why EA would want to talk in such hyperbolic terms.

But there are, of course, two very obvious reasons.

The first of these, is that the slogan is a direct dig at FIFA’s biggest rival, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer, which has been stuck down something of a Darwinian dead end since the start of the current console generation. The second, and by far the more important, however, comes from the leaked news that EA are planning to up the Recommended Retail Price for FIFA 12 to an almost insulting £54.99.

It’s normally hard enough for publishers to justify charging full price for annual sports franchises that return with metronomic regularity, usually with only minor alternations. So for FIFA 12, EA really needs to pull out all the stops to try and convince you that what it’s doing is more than just blatant profiteering.

What’s really disappointing about all of this, is that the revolution in the FIFA series actually took place in FIFA 08. Back then, it was a real revolution, based on an ideology, a dream, a desire to make FIFA the best football game ever whilst still retaining its popularity.

I’m certain FIFA 12 will turn out to be a stunning football game, possible the greatest to date, but if Electronic Arts really wants to make a significant change, all it needs to do is drop the price and switch the series’ name to disassociate themselves from the body that epitomises everything that’s worst about football. They won’t, of course, because the kind of money FIFA 12 is set to generate doesn’t just talk to you, it screams at you. And with this apparently EA’s primary concern, I can’t help finding FIFA 12’s talk of revolution slightly revolting.

It was in fact Dimitri Mavrikakis, the man he had with him on stage to demonstrate the new Kinect-enabled Fable: The Journey – and the man we’re almost certain is the godson he’s previously mentioned to us several times, whose name he first used some TEN YEARS AGO as the codename for the project that somehow eventually became the showcase E3 2009 Kinect demo, Milo and Kate. Which, supposedly, will never become an actual game. Did you follow all that? We almost gave up somewhere along the way too.

But perhaps, therefore, Dimitri demoing the game was a little sign that some of Milo and Kate’s DNA lives on in the Fable: The Journey – especially since the title explicitly uses Kinect, a technology that was made famous by Milo and Kate in the first place just two years ago.

Or perhaps Peter just wanted Dimitri, who we believe now works with him proper anyway, to experience the thrill of being on an E3 stage for the first time.

Or maybe, Peter just thought it would be funny to make a point of mentioning “Dimitri” during his E3 speech such that only people who’ve already spent far too much time thinking about all this would pick up on it.

Maybe, we need a visit to the shrink.

Update: Dimitri also appeared at the TED conference back in August 2010 to demonstrate Milo and Kate.

]]>http://videogamesdaily.com/news/201106/peter-molyneux-finally-reveals-the-real-milo-and-kate-dimitri/feed/0Wii U – that’s not all! More details coming tomorrow – including onlinehttp://videogamesdaily.com/news/201106/wii-u-thats-not-all-more-details-coming-tomorrow-including-online/
http://videogamesdaily.com/news/201106/wii-u-thats-not-all-more-details-coming-tomorrow-including-online/#commentsTue, 07 Jun 2011 18:31:04 +0000Kikizo Staffhttp://videogamesdaily.com/?p=8199
So Nintendo’s finally revealed its new Wii U console in LA this morning, and answered several of the questions we’ve all had on our minds. But certainly not all of them…

Speaking just a few minutes ago after the press conference, NOA boss Reggie revealed that further details are still to come this week - most importantly, he suggested, details of Nintendo’s online plans.

Reggie said there are not one but two “roundtable briefings” to come throughout the rest of E3, including the one that traditionally takes place on Wednesday.

Speaking to GTTV’s Geoff Keighley, he also confirmed that the new console puts out full 1080p HD, and said that the new storage media (which is not Blu-ray, but a “proprietary” format) will be more than enough to store all the data required for such cutting edge visuals.

More to follow.

]]>http://videogamesdaily.com/news/201106/wii-u-thats-not-all-more-details-coming-tomorrow-including-online/feed/3Ninja Gaiden 3 is set in Londonhttp://videogamesdaily.com/news/201106/ninja-gaiden-3-is-set-in-london/
http://videogamesdaily.com/news/201106/ninja-gaiden-3-is-set-in-london/#commentsWed, 01 Jun 2011 19:15:51 +0000Kikizo Staffhttp://videogamesdaily.com/?p=8190
So yeah, this is pretty cool. The first proper Ninja Gaiden title not to be produced by our old pal Tomonobu Itagaki but instead by Yosuke Hayashi has just seen a bunch of screenshots release, including one that’s clearly set in London. Underground sign plus red bus confirms it.

We doubt the game is exclusively set in London, but we’re pleased that it’ll be one of the stops he’ll likely be making around the globe as he slices up bitches.

]]>http://videogamesdaily.com/news/201106/ninja-gaiden-3-is-set-in-london/feed/2What can console makers learn from Apple?http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/what-can-console-makers-learn-from-apple/
http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/what-can-console-makers-learn-from-apple/#commentsWed, 01 Jun 2011 13:01:04 +0000Thomas Darhttp://videogamesdaily.com/?p=8176
Apple has risen to meteoric heights over the last decade, a series of victories that saw them go from being a curio computer company barely sustaining itself to being named the most valuable technology company in the world at a cool $222 billion (May 2011).

Without exaggeration Apple and Steve Jobs have changed the world, vastly improving the way we consume digital entertainment in the process, and steamrolling the competition of any industry they decide to get into. The rest of the world is continually forced to adapt to a changing landscape forged by Apple.

The first milestone in the company’s post-PC roadmap: iPod and iTunes made them leaders of a digital music revolution that revived a declining music industry, creating a workable online business model and launching an iconic small white box with a scroll-wheel to unparalleled success.

The backbone of iTunes put them in a powerful and advantageous position; they had network expertise, millions of registered customers with credit cards, a friendly UI fronting a streamlined payment process; all of which allowed an easy transition to other kinds of content delivery. Opening iTunes to movies and television in hindsight seems an almost negligible event on the road of inevitability. What happened next would be another game-changer.Then the iPhone happened.

Apple caught the cell phone industry sleeping and drew up a new template for what the modern phone should look like, spurring a rapid industry-wide transition to touch screens, mobile apps, gyroscopes and accelerometers. But the copycats can never replicate iPhone’s success with any me-too device. Hardware is easily copied; Apple’s software catalogue and customer base is not.

Apple customers buy a ton of apps, with more being added to the Apple store at a perpetually increasing rate. Programmers have never had it so good. We went from the days of PC domination when you’d need a website to spread the word and distribute your software which nobody would pay for anyway, routinely pirating the shit out of it with no remorse. From that, to a platform that has one central store visible to many millions of people who are very willing to pay for anything. At time of writing the top-selling iPhone app in the UK is ‘Keith Lemon’s Mouthboard’ which has you placing the device over your own mouth to make it look like you have the mouth of Keith Lemon.

Very basic games which prior to iPhone would have been free Flash-based games on the web, can now sell for a few quid a pop in such massive quantities that in some special cases the one-or-two-man creation team becomes rich. Mobile gaming companies have sprung up to take advantage of these market conditions, with income entirely derived from the users of Apple devices.

Bumbling into gaming…

Entering the music and movie industries was the result of careful planning and focus. Becoming a force in the gaming industry seemed to fall on Apple by accident. Gaming after all is just one of many categories of app they offer with no particular spotlight, and none of the devices in the iOS family have dedicated hard buttons for gaming. It didn’t take long for games to become the dominant app category by an enormous margin and it’s not difficult to see why. You only ever need one of any gadget-type app like a barcode scanner or satnav. But games, like music, are entertainment, for which we have an insatiable appetite. At this time 9 of the top 10 best-selling apps are games, as is most often the case.

Is Apple interested in applying its masterstroke to the videogame world? So far they are taking the reactive approach, declaring at a developer conference that their platform has the most games by numbers (a consequence of their platform having the most of everything) and making direct comparisons to DS and PSP. Quantity is far from the only metric we have to compare though; few would go as far to say that iPhone is already the best gaming platform in the world. Apple are not interested in compromising the intuitive and attractive design of its phones to add buttons solely for gaming, although it is in no way actively stifling game creators. They make massive performance gains in every annual hardware update which benefits games more than anything, and they at least made a barebones attempt at a gaming network with Game Center version 1.

What console makers can learn from Apple

Although currently posing no direct threat, without doubt there are lessons that can be applied to the console business. As console development costs rise and these costs are passed on to the consumer, the market becomes increasingly difficult to tap with consumers able to afford fewer games. The one-size-fits-all pricing has long been seen as a broken model by many. Apple’s App Store by comparison has a wide range of prices to suit any wallet, and it’s interesting to note that a £1.79 game can move in enough volume to make more money than one priced at £11.99. The highest grossing game is rarely the most expensive.

The app currently generating the most cash is Tap Zoo, which is free to play. Giving the game away and then cleverly charging for in-game items once the player is hooked is a very interesting model that is proven to work, but which has not successfully been applied to the console market yet. This model allows a very low barrier for entry which means a greater number of games can be consumed and you end up paying more for the ones you enjoy the most. A friend of mine confessed to paying in excess of £100 real currency for in-game gold pieces in Infinity Blade, a game which sells for £1.79 on the App Store.

A more obvious revenue stream is the use of advertisements. Apple has an SDK for this, offering developers the option to use ‘iAds’ in their apps. These are non-intrusive, attractive, interactive ads tailored for the device, and I imagine they have a way of tracking whether or not the end user has explored or ignored the ad to measure effectiveness. It has been going well apparently; “iAds twice as effective as TV” says a Nielsen study, quote from Apple’s website. Yet we’ve had no real push to integrate ads into console software. It will take leadership from the platform holders, the same way Apple has provided a solution for its developer community.

Multiple revenue pathways is not the only advantage of the Apple ecosystem. iTunes and the App Store are just plain better than any console equivalent from a customer experience standpoint. The ability to read reviews from other customers and write your own is a big pro point. The store is easy to navigate and games can be purchased, downloaded and installed all in a single click. Once installed, the OS manages updates seamlessly. A badge appears on the home screen to indicate how many apps have updates available, which can then be installed all in one go so that you spend as little time fetching updates as need be. It is standard to see a full list of update details for each app, in case you wanted to know.

But can Apple be a threat?

There aren’t many companies in the world that could have any chance in hell of displacing the big 3 console guys: Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Apple clearly have the brains and the money. The question is do they need or even want to? iOS became a gaming destination incidentally just because it is a great platform and runs on powerful hardware. It may compete with dedicated portable gaming devices on some level but it has no presence on the big screen in the living room, discounting the sure to be seldom-used HDMI output on the iPad 2.

The only Apple product to permanently sit under the television is Apple TV, a small console-like box controlled by a remote, designed to display video and photos and nothing else. Clearly Steve Jobs has no interest in competing directly with the Xbox; the complication of establishing first party studios and all the other expenses that make the current console business tough, leaving less of a profit margin than Apple tends to enjoy. If Apple are to make a mark on the gaming heavyweights, they will do so the Apple way, not by making their own traditional console and controller, but by making something superior and more profitable than traditional consoles, starting a new era the same way that iPod changed the way we listen to music and iPhone changed phones forever.

Or maybe they just won’t bother and will instead divert resources to make an iBoat or i…Swan.

]]>http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/what-can-console-makers-learn-from-apple/feed/1E3 2011 Expectations: Part 2: Microsofthttp://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/e3-2011-expectations-part-2-microsoft/
http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/e3-2011-expectations-part-2-microsoft/#commentsWed, 01 Jun 2011 12:46:34 +0000Dylann Bobeihttp://videogamesdaily.com/?p=8164
Last week we took a look at what Nintendo may or may not bring to table for their E3 showcase this year, and this week, we’re going green as we zero in on Microsoft and we can expect out of their camp. Microsoft has never pulled any punches at E3 and they’ve used the stage to make some pretty great announcements in the past. We’ve seen them unveil Project Natal, announce that Grand Theft Auto 4 was coming to the platform and show off the Xbox Slim for the first time. So what can you anticipate and look forward to as we approach this year’s big event? Here are the five things you can expect and the five things that you probably shouldn’t.

WHAT TO EXPECT

1) TO GET KINECTED

There were a lot of people who were sceptical about the potential for Kinect’s success when the layers first started to peel off. Nintendo had a pretty firm grip on the casual market and Microsoft didn’t exactly seem like the best fit for it either. However, the Kinect has been a huge success for the company, selling out upon it’s launch and becoming a huge hit with a casual crowd that seems to want some variety away from Nintendo’s Wii system. Microsoft won’t miss the opportunity to deliver some new titles that Kinect fans can expect for the rest of 2011. Will we all care about them? No. Are there sure to be some gems in the midst that will be worth checking out? Count on it.

2) BRAGGING RIGHTS

We’ve seen companies come out on the stage before and start laying out the statistics and sales figures before. Even Nintendo has been guilty of it once or twice. I think it’s safe to assume that you can expect Microsoft to open their conference by highlighting the monumental success of the Kinect hardware. They will surely squeeze in some subtle jabs at their competitors, probably Nintendo’s Wii as it is Kinect’s direct competition, and all in all, try to drive home the point that the Xbox is the platform to be gaming on. My only hope is that Microsoft doesn’t let it get to their head and spend a good portion of the conference running down the figures for us. I understand the place for it in the conference, I just think that most people are tuning in to hear what they can look forward to be doing on their Xbox in 2011, not what they’ve already had fun doing in 2010.

3) GEARS OF WAR 3 STAGE DEMONSTRATION

I’d say this one is almost a lock. Gears of War 3 is going to be Microsoft’s flagship title this coming holiday season, barring any surprise holiday announcement from them at the conference. Expect Cliffy B to be given a decent amount of time to showcase some kind of spectacular moment from the campaign for everyone to feast their eyes on. This is the perfect opportunity to begin ramping up the hype on this one and I do not see Microsoft dropping the ball by missing out on that chance.

4) MEDIA CENTER FOCUS

If there’s one thing that Microsoft has done far and beyond better than all its competitors, it is their online connected home experience. The Xbox has turned into a sort of one stop shop for all things media, in your living room. Every year at E3 we seem to get some sort of dedicated segment for this where something new gets added on to the dashboard and I don’t think this year will be any different. Whether it is a streamlined dashboard that includes more Kinect functionality or it’s the inevitable showing of Skype running on the 360, Microsoft will almost definitely use some stage time to give us even more reasons to never leave our homes.

5) HALO TITLE ANNOUNCEMENT

Call me crazy, but I think Microsoft is cooking up some kind of Halo title, with or without Bungie on board. I think Microsoft will want to end off their conference in a big way, especially with all the hype Nintendo has going into this E3. There are only a few flagship franchises that can get people to turn their heads from a Nintendo console announcement and Halo is one of those franchises. I’m going to hazard a guess and say that Microsoft ends their conference this year with a special teaser video for a new Halo related game or at the very least, some kind of remake of the original Halo, and gives everyone something to chatter about in the days that follow. Just don’t expect it to be a 2011 title. 2012 would be far more likely…unless the world ends.

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT

1) XBOX 720

We’ve all heard the buzzing rumors that Microsoft is readying an announcement about their next home console to combat Nintendo’s own announcement. I don’t see this happening at all. Microsoft has a lot of good things going on with the 360 and they’ve also gone on record as saying that this generation’s cycle would be longer for them than the original Xbox was. I think with Kinect having been out for under a year and a fan base that isn’t exactly dying off or anything, Microsoft will hold off on any kind of successor announcement until at least next year. I think the earliest we can expect the “Xbox 720″ is 2013.

2) XBOX 360 PRICE CUT

This is one as I almost put in either category, because really, it’s probably just as possible as it is not possible, but in the end, I just don’t think that Microsoft needs to cut the price of their console right now. I think that come September or October, if they begin to feel like that 360 isn’t going to have as big a presence as they’d like for the holiday season…then maybe, but right now in June, the 360 doesn’t need a price cut. Microsoft will focus on showing all of us why the current price is worth the investment by giving us all a look at a bucket load of software to be excited about in 2011.

3) RARE TO DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE

Last we’ve heard, Rare is busy with Kinect-oriented titles and I don’t think that there will be any kind of major surprise in this realm. It would be great to see a true Banjo and Kazooie title (That’s right, I’m not counting Nuts & Bolts) or even a new Conker title, but unfortunately, I don’t think we’re going to have the pleasure to witness something so grand. I think the best we can hope for is a Kinect driven title that isn’t simply a mini-game collection, but actually has some depth to it…I’m not holding my breath though.

4) METAL GEAR SOLID: RISING RELEASE DATE

Because stringing us along and watching us squirm is so much more fun for Konami that putting us at ease.

5) MULTIPLE HUGE REVEALS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS

One of the things that fans look forward to the most about E3 is the unknown factor. People love the idea that there is some secret, hidden title that is stored away somewhere and will only be revealed for the first time at E3. It’s one of the main reasons that people tune in. The question is always asked, “What is going to be announced at this year’s E3?” Unfortunately for Microsoft this year, outside of some sort of Halo title that I predicted earlier, I don’t see any major surprises coming out of this conference, when it comes to reveals or announcements. I think we’re going to see a lot of stuff that we already know about, get showcased for the first time, but I don’t expect someone to take the stage and say, “Ladies and Gentlemen…Final Fantasy XV!” My guess is that there just won’t be anything of that magnitude this year from Microsoft, which I think is going to make them struggle to keep themselves in the post-E3 headlines and make their conference remain relevant, because of what Nintendo seems to be bringing to the party.

]]>http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/e3-2011-expectations-part-2-microsoft/feed/0Why Ubisoft needs to tread softly when it comes to balance in the next Assassin’s Creedhttp://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/balance-in-the-next-assassins-creed/
http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/balance-in-the-next-assassins-creed/#commentsWed, 01 Jun 2011 12:18:28 +0000James Hamblinhttp://videogamesdaily.com/?p=8151
Last week, I finally got around to finishing Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. The reason for the rather lengthy period between the game’s release last November and my protracted final stab at making it to the end credits, wasn’t due to any waning interest in the continuing adventure of Ezio Auditore. Instead, it was entirely the result of the fact that I was constantly getting side-tracked buying up every single one of the businesses and landmarks Ubisoft had dotted all over Rome.

Right from the start, the chance for some Renaissance racketeering held a monopoly over my time with the game. Thanks to my efforts, after many solid hours of play, the Assassins were really no closer to defeating the Templars or the Borgia, but they had amassed a commercial property portfolio large enough to float on the stock exchange. I’d purchased the Coliseum with an eye to demolishing it and replacing it with the Maximus Decimus Meridius shopping centre, and, if there was such a thing, I would surely have unlocked the Silvio Berlusconi achievement for the growth I’d single-handedly stimulated in the local prostitution industry. By the end, I honestly expected ‘The Truth’ this time to be a personal message from Sir Alan Sugar.

Brotherhood is, without question, one of the most impressive sandbox titles made to date, and proof positive that great open world game design is a lot like great interior design. It’s not so much about the amount of space you have, as how cleverly you fill it. That’s what makes the difference between creating a place you can live in, and a place you can exist in. A world that envelops you, and one that merely accommodates you. The former feels like home, the latter like you’re staying in someone else’s home. No matter how kind and welcoming they are, it still feels uncomfortable.

When you think back to the original Assassin’s Creed, and the way awkwardly integrated gameplay elements occasionally broke the immersion of the world, (remember those collect-all-the-flags-within-the-time-limit missions) it’s to Ubisoft’s great credit that even Brotherhood’s ancillary activities, like the wealth accumulation ones, now add a wonderful depth and richness to your surroundings.

The thing is though, I signed up to be a fleet-footed, silent killing machine, not a parkouring Theo Paphitis, and what struck me about Brotherhood, was that Ezio may be getting dangerously close to becoming more entrepreneur than assassin. Was I more invested in Brotherhood’s world because of the presence of all the additional content? Yes (quite literally). Was I more involved in, what should be, the most important part of the game, the main storyline? No, because I was constantly being drawn away from this by the fact that I was closer to a bank, blacksmith’s or some other going concern than the next mission marker.

Ubisoft announced recently that the next Assassin’s Creed game, subtitled Revelations, is due this November. If the success of the series now means that the company is going to reward fans by pushing out a game every year until everyone loses interest, let’s hope they don’t continue this upward trend for cheap and easy filler content (no matter how cleverly contextualised or addictively immediate) over actual innovation and development of their fantastic central premise. It would be a huge shame if player fatigue overtook the assassin’s before they’ve had time to run their course, and I swear, if Desmond ends in the modern day running a chain of successful health clubs I’ll assassinate him myself.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Chamber of Commerce meeting to chair.

]]>http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/balance-in-the-next-assassins-creed/feed/0Modern Warfare 3: Suppressing Firehttp://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/modern-warfare-3-suppressing-fire/
http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/modern-warfare-3-suppressing-fire/#commentsWed, 01 Jun 2011 12:02:33 +0000Haig Chapmanhttp://videogamesdaily.com/?p=8139
I regret feeling the need to kick up a fuss before a game’s even hit the shelves, but I feel there’s just cause for it. After all, the press appear to have been temporarily blinded by the flash of Activision’s incoming Modern Warfare 3, and, as a result, it’s become near impossible to avoid all the articles and previews blowing up across the internet (despite them containing little in the way of substance and information). Heck, even the Daily Mail threw in a punch this week: announcing their distaste at the thought of the game, and linking it to the 7/7 London bombings.

It’s understandable, though, the Modern Warfare series has become famous beyond its target audience, with even non-gamers aware of its existence and what it entails. But as I clicked the link through to watch the newly released trailer for the third entry, I felt entirely disinterested; no excitement for what I was about to see. And even after watching it, that feeling lingered. Had I really lost interest in the genre? Or was it just the Call of Duty franchise that no longer satisfied my thirst for shooters?

As it turns out, the latter. Moments later, I was reminded of the fantastic trailers released earlier this year for Battlefield 3, and quickly sought out the extended video of the opening level. There it was: the jittery fingers; the shiver down my spine; the experience I sought as a gamer. So what does the new Battlefield have over Modern Warfare 3? Both are modern military first-person shooters, both look equally impressive from a graphical standpoint, and both now in the third iteration of their series…

In my mind, it comes down to what they offer to the average gamer. Currently, it seems Activision is set on making Modern Warfare 3 a replica of the previous entry to the series: sticking to that “blockbuster” thrill, with a ludicrous plotline and an unambitious multiplayer. DICE, on the other hand, seem prepared to go that extra mile on each platform with their glittering, fresh-out-the-box Frostbite 2 engine, and up to 64-player online matches for the PC version of the game.

Maybe it’s just me – perhaps I’m biased towards Battlefield. But it’s been over a year now since the release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and I’m still booting it up and hitting the multiplayer for a few rounds of “Conquest” on a weekly basis. For me, BC2 was the pinnacle online experience of 2010 both on consoles and PC: that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Modern Warfare 2 or BlackOps, I just found the multiplayer aspect ended once I’d tried all the modes and unlocked the majority of the content. To this day, BC2 gives me tactical online participation that delivers excitement in its gameplay, as opposed to an ultra-competitive environment where the only joy appears to be in killing (and unlocking better guns for more killing).

Frankly, I don’t expect many (or even any) to agree with me: that’s not the point of this article. I’m merely pondering the thought that Modern Warfare might be becoming passé. That, maybe, its continued tread on familiar territory isn’t enough to keep up with the competition. Not with the intention to alter its sales (or even boost Battlefield 3′s), but just with the hope that gamers don’t feel obliged to purchase, come November, just to feel part of the community.

It’s a difficult area to discuss: many love the Modern Warfare games and are willing to defend their corner to the death. And, you never know, Activision may reveal some startling enhancements for MW3 during E3 that make me eat my words right out of the monitor – but I’m not convinced. In fact, I’m so utterly unconvinced that I’ll likely only glance over the updates coming in for the game, much like I would for the next FIFA or Sims. But then, that may be the future for the Call of Duty series. Only time, and sales figures, will tell.

]]>http://videogamesdaily.com/features/201106/modern-warfare-3-suppressing-fire/feed/0L.A. Noire – do we really want to play as cops?http://videogamesdaily.com/reviews/201105/l-a-noire-review-do-we-really-want-to-play-as-cops/
http://videogamesdaily.com/reviews/201105/l-a-noire-review-do-we-really-want-to-play-as-cops/#commentsWed, 25 May 2011 01:38:03 +0000Richard Smeetonhttp://videogamesdaily.com/?p=8117

The Grand Theft Auto games derive a huge chunk of their fun from consequence-free criminality, whether it’s random missile attacks or mowing down innocent hotdog vendors just for kicks. L.A. Noire shifts to the other side of the law completely, so can a Rockstar game still be enjoyable if you can’t do the fun stuff?

The central character in LA Noire is war hero turned good cop, Cole Phelps. Cole take assignments in straight order, starting from traffic and working his way up to homicide, arson and vice, while some variety is thrown in with street crime – basically sub missions where you answer calls for help. Throughout, expect a cocktail of car chases, shootouts, fist fights and the occasionally spectacular set piece, which are all good fun if less riotous than anything in GTA or Red Dead Redemption.

However, this “reigned” in approach allows for a strong investigative focus; the heart of L.A. Noire is cerebral and slow burning detection. The initial investigation involves searching at crime scenes for clues, detected by the rumbling of the joypad and musical prompts. This evidence can then be used in the interrogation of suspects. Intuition points earned for successful missions can be used to help you either in the interrogation, or by highlighting clue locations.

The ace in the hole for the interrogations is the amazing motion capture of actor’s faces, that allows for hugely detailed expressions. It’s a huge leap and you can really see the nuances of the performances, which really draws you into the world. Checking for lies requires concentration, and whilst some are more obvious than others, you’ll want to save some intuition points to help out.

The game is serious in tone, drawing on many real life crimes like the Black Dahlia case, and paints a grim view of humanity (and Hollywood). Crimes scenes are gory but there is still some sly humour on display, like the posters for the innocently titled ‘Gay Cowboys’. Interrogations can provide reals moments of darkness; it’s genuinely unnerving to push the button to ask tough questions of traumatised fifteen year old girls.

Being a lawman makes the game more focused and linear than GTA – but as a result, there’s a lot more depth. Like GTA the game is set in a huge sandbox city – in this case a stunningly detailed rendition of late-40s Los Angeles – which when combined with a superb score makes a superb and original setting for the game.

L.A. Noire being episodic feels like an interactive version of a HBO series, and it’s almost better to take a break after case completion as the street crimes are not quite enough to alleviate a feeling of repetitive familiarity. Cases can be replayed to get better scores, but it may be up to downloadable installments to get more entertainment from the game.

Still, L.A. Noire is a quality, memorable experience oozing class, and almost makes you wish the fedora would make a comeback.